Without Bounds
by sleepneeded911
Summary: What would have happened if Haley still decided to go home after Dan gave her the annulment papers and confronted Nathan about them? Read and find out. This fic is a one Partner.


Name: Ivonne  
Title: Without Bounds  
Disclaimer: Don't own the show, characters or whatever, just my own thoughts.  
Reason: This is my response to Paulina's challenge over at TWC  
Rating(s) of the fic I was given: 3-4  
Pairing: Nathan/Haley  
Tone/mood: angsty but with an open, sort of hopeful ending  
One element/theme/item that my gift include: What would have happened if Haley still decided to go home after Dan gave her the annulment papers and confronted Nathan about them (up to you to decide if Nathan really did sign them or not)  
Common clichés my gift cannot include: Nathan deciding to move back in with his dad, fundraiser party, fluff, OOC behavior  
Setting: Takes place after _What Could have Been_ or during it…  
Dedication: This is for my girls over at TWC; Paulina, Janet, and Lena. Stace as well, but we don't know where that girl is at. LOL.  
Thanks: Thankies to Elise for being my beta for this story. You're awesome!  
AN: Well this is what I think would have happened…And right now I will admit that I borrowed some things from the finale and from _WCHB_ episode. Anyways, I hope that you all enjoy it :)

**

* * *

Without Bounds**

_Dream: A condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration_

_"I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can be together all the time."_  
-Hobbes

* * *

The cold air enclosed her, causing her to shiver as she stood in front of the white door: furious, anxious, and nervous. Her brown hair stirred from the strong wind around while her chestnut eyes contained fear for what was to come. Her heart pounded as she tightly clutched the light envelope that held her entire future within a few phrases and words. There she remained with only the envelope and her guitar case, being the only things she was able to gather up after she called the airport and acquired an earlier flight. 

It was a one way ticket.

After a few moments, she finally gathered enough courage, leaned over, and rang the doorbell. She knew that she didn't have the right to take out her keys and calmly open the door anymore.

She didn't deserve it.

At last, she could faintly hear someone approaching the door, the sound of "clicks" instead of footsteps. She listened to him unlock the door and gradually open it. She took a deep breath as he came into view, noticing him curse as he hit himself with one of the crutches and the door. Her throat began to throb as her eyes commenced to get watery while she gazed at his injured form from the accident he was lucky to walk away from alive. It pained her to see him in that condition.

She examined as he at last brought his leer to the person who woke him from his slumber, his low eyes widening a little before a look of puzzlement emerged on his handsome features. His hair was a mess, his white shirt was wrinkled, and his basketball shorts were crumpled.

He was a complete wreck.

His beautiful, electrifying stare was replaced with two cold ones. They were dark, tired, and held no emotion. It was the same look that he used to posses when he met her. Back when Dan ruled his life and his mother spent much of her time traveling. Back when the only thing that mattered to him was his status, partying, girls, and basketball.

She started to hurt all over.

"Haley?" he spoke after moments of watching her, debating if she was truly there.

No kiss, hug, or warm exchange.

"Hi," she replied, forcing a small smile on her face, emotional.

They both stood gazing at each other, surveying what a few months apart had done to one another. Her hair was a bit longer, curled and done from the show she finished wrapping up.

She was still wearing her stage clothes.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"You still live here," he told her as he opened the door wider so she could step in.

Her eyes broke away from his cold stare, upset of his icy attitude. She strolled in, dropping her guitar case by the door and began to examine the room. She frowned as she looked at what used to be their _'home sweet home'_. It used to be clean, organized, comfy, and warm with their engaging love. Now, she stood in a place that was unknown to her. The sink was overfilled with dishes, there were empty beer bottles, plates, pizza boxes, mail, and papers scattered all around the counter and island. In the living room, the T.V. was flashing with no sound, the coffee table filled with more pizza boxes and beer bottles.

"If I would have known that you were coming I would have cleaned up a little, " he bitterly voiced as he saw her surveying the apartment.

Her eyes immediately caught sight of a clown in the living room. She gasped as she realized that it was one of the paintings Peyton made for their weeding party; it was smoldered with pink paint and top of it laid the clown.

He glimpsed back at what she was gaping at and turned away.

"Yeah, I made some modifications when you were out," he answered bluntly to her perplexed expression, still able to read her face clearly.

She pulled her view away from the ridiculous painting and looked back at the man she married. He didn't seem to carry any guilt for what he had done.

She didn't respond back, glancing around at the other 'modifications' he made. She felt like someone punched her in the gut when she realized that their weeding gift mural was gone.

He wasn't even wearing his ring.

It seemed as if their weeding never even existed.

When she got on the airplane, she thought of her encounter with Nathan, but she didn't expect any of this. She did not think that her departure was going to affect him so much.

"Nathan, what happened?" she asked him, blinking back her tears again.

"What happened Haley?" he echoed dryly. "Let me think of what happened…" he declared. "You ran after Chris when I specifically told you not to. While you were off having the time of your life singing, becoming famous and being friends or whatever with him, I was left here to fend for myself. I went to school, stopped, got suspended, turned down High-Flyers, got in a serious car accident that left me in debt of a hundred thousand dollars since I forgot to pay for insurance and the rest of the other bills," he replied mockingly. "Oh and my mom's in rehab for popping one too many pain killers," he added. "Did I miss something Haley?" he questioned her as he brought his sinister, cold gaze to her once more.

She began to grow furious at his unfair accusations and brought the envelope to his sight.

"So is that the reason you sent Dan to drop off these annulment papers?" she questioned, rage present in her appearance as she dropped them on the crowded island. "He told me that he wanted my autograph…"

Nathan started to smirk at what he just heard.

"I swear, that man can never seem to amaze me…" he commented with his continuous grin. "Didn't take him long…"

Haley grew angrier.

"Are you telling me that you willingly signed those papers?" she asked him, taken aback. "You actually want to get a divorce?"

"It's an annulment," he told her. "It'll be like we never got married in the first place," he explained. "So when you become famous your record can be as clean as a new guitar."

She began to get tears in her eyes. Ever single bitter word out of his mouth was like a slap in the face.

"What happened to you Nathan?" she inquired turning away from him so he wouldn't see her clear the tears that were uncontrollably falling from her face.

She couldn't hold them back any longer.

She never saw as he stepped closer to her, but stopped as he realized what he was doing. He couldn't give in to her pain, tears, or innocence. He had already made a decision and he was sticking to it. He saw her and the ache he used to feel when she wasn't with him; he grew content to know that she suffered from his absence as well.

"Someone broke my heart Haley," he responded softly, showing no resentment, but gentleness for the first time that night.

His attitude changing and softening.

"You think that I did it on purpose Nathan?" she questioned, fumed and anguished. "All I wanted to do was chase my dreams. Here it was, knocking on my door for the first time, or last. I had to jump at the opportunity," she said to him.

"Why couldn't you have jumped at the opportunity with me at your side?" he replied, staring at her diluted eyes.

Haley stood in place, not moving, looking down, ashamed with no answer. Nathan walked closer to her, grabbing his crutches as they led him nearer to her tear-stricken form. He let go of a crutch and lightly grabbed her face as she was forced to directly look at him.

"That's why," he responded softly.

"But Nathan—" she commenced to protest, but was interrupted by his defiant voice.

"I don't want you to hold back your dreams because of me Haley and I don't want to hold back mine because of you. I don't want to end up like my dad who punishes you for what I could have been. I don't want to get in the way of your dreams," he said as he let go of her, his hands protesting as they craved her skin for the long time they spent not being able to touch her.

He missed waking up with her beside him, giving her kisses to rouse her, and cuddling with her each night. He missed her tutoring and how he always distracted her with his sporadic make out sessions when they were supposed to be studying and doing their homework. He missed having her in his arms, loving and caring for her. He missed her and his deep gaze demonstrated it.

After a moment she walked over to her guitar case and opened it. She pulled out her guitar and grabbed a hold of a small piece of glossy paper. She set the guitar back in its holder and paced back to him.

"What about this dream we had?" she asked as she showed him the item she pulled out of her case.

It was a picture of their weeding. She was wearing the white dress and he was in his black suite, they both were radiating the same beams on their faces as they looked at each other lovingly. The bouquet was fresh in her hands with the recent exchange of vows.

It was the same photo she held in her hands hours ago in her dressing room.

"That was a dream we had, accomplished, and now its time for us to end it, " he retorted, holding no animosity in his voice.

"So I have no say in this?" she inquired, frustrated and mad at how easily he gave up.

"Haley, you know that I am doing what is best for us," he said as he wiped away a falling tear from her cheek.

"But what if I want you in my dreams?" she asked him. "Right here, right now."

"First Haley, follow your singing dreams and I'll follow my own. We'll see if in the future we can cross paths and share the same dreams we used to have," he told her as he forced a smirk on his face.

"But what are we going to do about all the debts?" she asked abruptly. "I could pay for some of the bills with a few of the shows that I have done, but not all, definitely not your hospital bill," she stated. "I could ask my manager for an upfront on some of the shows, but that'll probably not happen," she babbled, thinking out loud.

"Haley," Nathan interrupted.

"I swear that they should be giving me more money for all the shows that I am doing, but no my manager told me that I'm still too 'new' to the music scene," she voiced frustrated. "Whatever that means…"

"Haley," he said, louder.

Her brown eyes averted back to him, her mouth shut and pressed, giving him her full attention.

"Let's not worry about it right now," he told her.

She persisted to stand, not saying a word as she looked at him with a wet stare, knowing of what was coming.

"I love you Nathan," she declared, starting to sob once more, harder.

"I love you too Hales," he answered as he reached over again and tried to clear the tears from her face, saying her special name.

He got closer and embraced her.

She began to weep harder as she held onto him, remembering what he felt and smelled like for she would never be able to touch and caress him ever again or for many years to come. Her engagement ring on her finger radiated from every single tear that fell from their faces; the ring secretly whimpering for the end of a timeless love.

"I always will," he finished while hugging her back, smiling for having her back in his arms.

* * *

They would spend one more night together and then she would get up, sign the papers, grab her guitar case, and leave him into the cold air with nothing but her faint scent on her pillow and many powerful memories; Leaving him follow his dreams without any bounds.

* * *

_Reaching your dreams is hard, but that's the only way to achieve it. You can reach your dreams if you persevere in life..._  
-Unknown 


End file.
